Joined the maintainers club today :)
xbowhunter
Posts: 1,309 Member
Male
Height 5'7"
Age 54
Starting weight July 31st 2023 181lbs
Current weight today Oct 26 2023 150.5lbs (goal 150lbs) close enough... lol
Never been good at maintaining but I have a few tricks up my sleeve this time to stay on top of my weight.
I worked at this really hard to hit my goal and don't ever want to go back to the fat me...
Cheers!
Height 5'7"
Age 54
Starting weight July 31st 2023 181lbs
Current weight today Oct 26 2023 150.5lbs (goal 150lbs) close enough... lol
Never been good at maintaining but I have a few tricks up my sleeve this time to stay on top of my weight.
I worked at this really hard to hit my goal and don't ever want to go back to the fat me...
Cheers!
23
Replies
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Congratulations!
Now the real fun starts.
If you haven't already, might I suggest you check out some of the threads here about how others maintain long term? We're all unique, so not everything will apply (of course), but I got a lot of useful info from those threads when I was getting close to maintenance, and in the early stages.
Best wishes for continuing success!3 -
Don't celebrate so much you gain all the weight back in one night, lol! But it is worth some level of celebration, whether watching a favorite movie, get a new Ugly Christmas Sweater for the upcoming company party, etc. Welcome to the club!0
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Congratulations!
Our stats are surprisingly similar - height, amount of weight lost, age when I got to my goal, and now maintaining. Vigilance will be your friend - keep sticking to it. I've wandered back out of maintenance a couple times, including right now. It can be tough to not get frustrated about it, but it's just something that happens sometimes. I'm still not totally 100% sure that my goal is the right goal, so I keep revising it. My goal weight was less than yours, and I was able to stay there for a couple years until the world changed a few years ago. I'm still maintaining, but at a slightly higher weight, and maybe that's OK. It's so much better than when I got started!4 -
Congratulations. Just posting here tells me you are going to be successful this time. 👏👏👏0
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Woo hoo! 🎊
Bet that feels good! Hopefully I'll join you early next year.2 -
Congratulations! That’s an impressive feat and it’s clear you worked really hard for it. Newly navigating maintenance myself. Feel free to share some of those tricks when you’re ready 😊.1
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Oct 26 to today Nov 20th still maintaining at 150lbs. So far so good.
Much easier now that I have cut way back on alcohol...
8 -
Congrats! Awesome! You can live this one day at a time.0
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xbowhunter wrote: »Oct 26 to today Nov 20th still maintaining at 150lbs. So far so good.
Much easier now that I have cut way back on alcohol...
That's great! Keep doing the things you need to do, and I predict that it will eventually start feeling less like walking a tightrope, more just like routine life.
At least that's been my experience. I'm in year 7+, nearly 8, of maintaining a healthy weight. There have been some mild ups and downs (all in the healthy BMI range, and all in the same jeans size). I know what to do when the jeans start getting a little snug, and I do it. But I don't worry as much as I did at first.
I think it's sort of common at first - even if our rational brain knows otherwise - to think that somehow if we eat a few extra cookies, or indulge to over-full on the holidays, that we'll suddenly and uncontrollably balloon back up to major fatness. That's not going to happen. It's the slow, sneaky up-creep over weeks to watch out for, and take action on.
IMO we need new habits that will work the majority of our days without constant vigilance, and the monitoring mindset to self-correct quickly if the trend (not the day to day scale bounce) tell us action is needed. It's doable.
You've got this: Just keep doing what you need to do.
Best wishes!3 -
xbowhunter wrote: »Oct 26 to today Nov 20th still maintaining at 150lbs. So far so good.
Much easier now that I have cut way back on alcohol...
That's great! Keep doing the things you need to do, and I predict that it will eventually start feeling less like walking a tightrope, more just like routine life.
At least that's been my experience. I'm in year 7+, nearly 8, of maintaining a healthy weight. There have been some mild ups and downs (all in the healthy BMI range, and all in the same jeans size). I know what to do when the jeans start getting a little snug, and I do it. But I don't worry as much as I did at first.
I think it's sort of common at first - even if our rational brain knows otherwise - to think that somehow if we eat a few extra cookies, or indulge to over-full on the holidays, that we'll suddenly and uncontrollably balloon back up to major fatness. That's not going to happen. It's the slow, sneaky up-creep over weeks to watch out for, and take action on.
IMO we need new habits that will work the majority of our days without constant vigilance, and the monitoring mindset to self-correct quickly if the trend (not the day to day scale bounce) tell us action is needed. It's doable.
You've got this: Just keep doing what you need to do.
Best wishes!
Excellent info!
I really think its all about being mind-full. stop eating when I am full and avoid the high empty calories as much as possible. The holiday bulge shall not commence!!! lol2 -
Oct 26 to today Nov 27th still maintaining at 150lbs. So far so good.
The most fattening time of the year is coming. My strategy is to loose another 5lbs before the holidays then I can indulge a bit more without stressing over my calorie intake...5 -
Congratulations: You're doing really well!
I think different holiday strategies work for different people, but that sounds like a reasonable approach to try.
Like I said (implied) earlier in the thread, I'm pretty relaxed about it these days. I'm retired, so I don't need to fight through a sea of tempting treats at work. I just follow my usual calorie banking habit day to day (eating maybe around 100-150 calories under estimated maintenance most of the time, to indulge occasionally). Then I indulge if I feel like it on the actual holidays or the few related special events, see where the chips fall, and creep off a few pounds after if necessary.
I don't love doing larger deficits at this point, though I'd do it if it were urgent. So far, creeping off what creeps on is working pretty well - either just that calorie banking kind of deficit, or up to maybe 250. It seems pretty painless that way, and as long as my jeans fit (with the Winter long johns on ), I'm not too stressed about timing.
You're doing great: You'll do fine over the holidays, too. Let us know how it goes, if you feel up to it?
Best wishes!1 -
xbowhunter wrote: »Oct 26 to today Nov 27th still maintaining at 150lbs. So far so good.
The most fattening time of the year is coming. My strategy is to loose another 5lbs before the holidays then I can indulge a bit more without stressing over my calorie intake...
How goes the maintenance plan @xbowhunter ?1 -
John772016 wrote: »xbowhunter wrote: »Oct 26 to today Nov 27th still maintaining at 150lbs. So far so good.
The most fattening time of the year is coming. My strategy is to loose another 5lbs before the holidays then I can indulge a bit more without stressing over my calorie intake...
How goes the maintenance plan @xbowhunter ?
So far so good. Had too many drinks and food this weekend though. Scale said 152lbs this morning time reign this *kitten* in again to stay between 145 to 150!4 -
xbowhunter wrote: »John772016 wrote: »xbowhunter wrote: »Oct 26 to today Nov 27th still maintaining at 150lbs. So far so good.
The most fattening time of the year is coming. My strategy is to loose another 5lbs before the holidays then I can indulge a bit more without stressing over my calorie intake...
How goes the maintenance plan @xbowhunter ?
So far so good. Had too many drinks and food this weekend though. Scale said 152lbs this morning time reign this *kitten* in again to stay between 145 to 150!
If you get back to routine, betcha most of it drops off over the next week or so without doing anything dramatic. (I know Christmas is in the next week or so . . . which is a wrinkle. )
You're doing fine. Keep on!1 -
xbowhunter wrote: »Male
Height 5'7"
Age 54
Starting weight July 31st 2023 181lbs
Current weight today Oct 26 2023 150.5lbs (goal 150lbs) close enough... lol
I worked at this really hard to hit my goal and don't ever want to go back to the fat me...
Hey, this is fantastic...
I really appreciate you putting out the "I worked at this really hard to hit my goal"
Congratulations.2 -
Back down to 149 today.
I have my mojo back just in time for the holidays. :0)
My personal challenge for our Christmas break from Dec 23 to Jan 02.
No alcohol consumption especially when we are out and I have to drive.
No eating high calorie sweets.
Hit the gym every other day.
Walk the dog 5k everyday rain or shine.
Most of all maintain or actually shed a couple of pounds.
Cheers!
4 -
Still maintaining even after the glutton filled holiday break lol.
I did pretty good with food and drink intake and have maintained.
Next mini goal is to be more consistent at the gym and drop down 4lbs to 145lbs and stay there...
8 -
149LBS today I now have 3months of experience maintaining.
I feel it is sustainable as long as I don't reintroduce alcohol into my body daily like the old me.
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That's fantastic!
I'm coming up on one year in Maintenance next month3 -
Still maintaining at 150lbs for 4 months now.
So far so good!7 -
Well done .. I think one of the most important things about maintenance is just keeping track! It's so easy to just think you are done and stop looking and boom 20 pounds later the pants don't fit. LOL. After almost 6 and a half years I have to say that staying here on MFP has been a life saver. I have had to do several cuts but always just a few pounds to get back to maintenance targets and only for a few weeks max but knowing is knowledge! You are doing fantastic. Stay with us and keep checking in!4
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Happy Valentines day!
149lbs today so far so good.
My new goal is to be even leaner for bathing suit season!5 -
148lbs today and holding steady!7
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148lbs today. New goal 145lbs...
No real issues maintaining as long as I am watching my weight, I feel this is sustainable for life....6 -
xbowhunter wrote: »148lbs today. New goal 145lbs...
No real issues maintaining as long as I am watching my weight, I feel this is sustainable for life....
Congratulations: So great to read about your continuing success!0 -
Love these monthly checkins! Well done!🌟🌟🌟0
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Congratulations! That’s quite an achievement!!0
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Update:
My weight shot up from 150lbs to 165lbs over the summer. This occurred because I stopped counting calories and drank alcohol like a fish. I have recently quit the drink and started to eat a low carb diet counting calories and walking 1hr per day. Happy to report I am down to 155lbs today and the last 5 should be gone in a few weeks.
Lessons learned to maintain my weight no more drinking alcohol and to be mindful of what I am eating.
Have a great day!8 -
Not for nothing, but fish don't drink alcohol.
I quit drinking alcohol completely when I was losing weight.
Best decision. Ever.
Congrats on getting back on track - right on time for all the Sweets Holidays!4
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